When there are stories in the Bible about people like Daniel and Joseph I don't understand how people can think that politics and faith don't mix. I guess part of it comes from the (false) idea that our faith is a private thing, something that is essentially only about me and God, about going to heaven when I die.
Sometimes as Christians we moan that we are being marginalised within a secular society. But part of the problem is that we have removed ourselves from local decision making bodies, so when decisions are being made there is no Christian voice or perspective. And then after decisions are taken we are heard to moan and complain and whinge.
But surely if we believe that our faith has something to do with being a part of the answer to the prayer '...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...' then surely we should seek opportunities to get involved locally. Not just in terms of politics in the sense of becoming a local councillor or MP, but also by becoming a parent governor or joining the PTA at your child's school, being on the Student Union at college, becoming a union rep at work, being on the staff committee, being a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator... Which are the bodies that make local decisions? Get involved. Isn't part of the good news about the Kingdom of God the truth that things work better when we walk in line with God's ways. As we seek to bring God's values into situations then surely that will be better for everyone.
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Be the best you can be
Last September I started running again after a 'few' years off - a few years off exercise all together - not just running. The Olympic games are coming to London next year, and many of the athletes have had their eyes on that target for a number of years now. Now I know that I am never going to set any world records at any distance. I have my first race for 7 years this weekend, there are 700 competitors and I won't win. But that hasn't stopped me training specifically for the event for the last 12 weeks. I won't win but I still have a target time, a personal best that I'm aiming for. I won't be the best runner there, but I certainly want to run the best race that I can.
Daniel was the best at what he did - the king wanted to promote him to the top job in the land. Daniel was also known to honest and trustworthy, neither corrupt or negligent (Daniel 6:4).
What kind of reputation to you and I enjoy? Where do we spend most of our week - at work, school, college, home...? How do others view us? Are we seen as honest, trustworthy, fair, hardworking, kind, patient... Do we work just as hard unsupervised as when someone is looking over our shoulder? Would the boss trust us with the keys to the company safe, and the company credit card?
Our faith should make a difference, and we should be people who strive to be the best that we can be. Maybe we won't stand out in terms of hard nosed performance figures but we should shine in terms of character and personality.
Daniel was the best at what he did - the king wanted to promote him to the top job in the land. Daniel was also known to honest and trustworthy, neither corrupt or negligent (Daniel 6:4).
What kind of reputation to you and I enjoy? Where do we spend most of our week - at work, school, college, home...? How do others view us? Are we seen as honest, trustworthy, fair, hardworking, kind, patient... Do we work just as hard unsupervised as when someone is looking over our shoulder? Would the boss trust us with the keys to the company safe, and the company credit card?
Our faith should make a difference, and we should be people who strive to be the best that we can be. Maybe we won't stand out in terms of hard nosed performance figures but we should shine in terms of character and personality.
Monday, 28 March 2011
Is it an issue or not?
This Sunday we looked at one of the best known stories in the Bible - Daniel in the Lion's Den, which is found in the Old Testament book of Daniel.
Daniel, three of his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and hundreds of other Jews were taken prisoner and exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in about 605 BC. Daniel and his friends were soon picked out for special training and later entered into royal service.
We know the story of how Daniel continued to pray and had to survive a night with the lions as a result. There is the story of how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to a statue of the king and were thrown into the fiery furnace - and survived to tell the tale. But there are other areas where these four men seemed happy to compromise and not make an issue of things that they may have found offensive. They were given Babylonian names; they learned the magic arts of the enchanters and magi; they learned about Babylonian gods and goddesses; and although they had some say in their diet they still ate non kosher vegetables - as they were prepared by Gentiles... They fitted in well to Babylonian life and became a part of the system.
It is not that they were afraid to stand up and be counted - it is more that in their wisdom they saw a bigger picture. They could have disobeyed the king on day one - and been executed there and then, but then we would never had heard about them, and they would not have risen to the positions of influence that they did.
So when do we take a stand and when do we keep our heads down? Daniel and his three friends were known as men who prayed - and therefore they were in touch with God - they had godly wisdom. But there were two areas in which they were not prepared to compromise:
1) Being told to worship someone/something other than God (chapter 3)
2) Being told they could not worship their God (chapter 6).
When we are faced with issues that are built on values that are not in line with our faith we need real wisdom, to know whether to make it an issue, or just let it go - for the sake of a bigger picture.
Daniel, three of his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and hundreds of other Jews were taken prisoner and exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in about 605 BC. Daniel and his friends were soon picked out for special training and later entered into royal service.
We know the story of how Daniel continued to pray and had to survive a night with the lions as a result. There is the story of how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to a statue of the king and were thrown into the fiery furnace - and survived to tell the tale. But there are other areas where these four men seemed happy to compromise and not make an issue of things that they may have found offensive. They were given Babylonian names; they learned the magic arts of the enchanters and magi; they learned about Babylonian gods and goddesses; and although they had some say in their diet they still ate non kosher vegetables - as they were prepared by Gentiles... They fitted in well to Babylonian life and became a part of the system.
It is not that they were afraid to stand up and be counted - it is more that in their wisdom they saw a bigger picture. They could have disobeyed the king on day one - and been executed there and then, but then we would never had heard about them, and they would not have risen to the positions of influence that they did.
So when do we take a stand and when do we keep our heads down? Daniel and his three friends were known as men who prayed - and therefore they were in touch with God - they had godly wisdom. But there were two areas in which they were not prepared to compromise:
1) Being told to worship someone/something other than God (chapter 3)
2) Being told they could not worship their God (chapter 6).
When we are faced with issues that are built on values that are not in line with our faith we need real wisdom, to know whether to make it an issue, or just let it go - for the sake of a bigger picture.
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